This Instant Pot kimchi jjigae is an adaptation of the classic kimchi jjigae, which requires less cooking time but still tastes just as good, rich, and packed with flavor!
Dice the pork belly into 1 inch pieces. Place both the diced pork belly and fermented kimchi into the Instant Pot insert and give the mixture a stir.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to its lock position and make sure to switch the steam release valve to "SEALING". Select the pressure cook setting and adjust the time to 25 minutes on the normal setting and high pressure.
Once the time is up, carefully switch the steam release valve to "VENTING." There will be a lot of pressure and steam so be very careful! Let the steam release completely and the floating valve drops before opening the lid.
Transfer the kimchi jjigae into a pot or a large stone bowl (dolsot) and add the firm tofu. Bring everything to a boil.
Enjoy the kimchi jjigae hot with steamed rice!
Notes
*This kimchi jjigae recipe is developed based on a very popular brand of kimchi found in most Asian markets and is meant to be used as a base recipe. So depending on the brand of kimchi you used or if you made the kimchi yourself, you may or may not need to season the stew. For the most part, we thought the kimchi jjigae to taste good even without additional seasoning.**Please refer to the post for more information on making this kimchi jjigae, substitution, and other additions.If you have time to make your own kimchi, this traditional napa cabbage kimchi is perfect for long term fermentation (takes about 2 weeks to 1 month) and this geotjeori, aka fresh kimchi, is great for shorter fermentation time (at least 1 week of fermentation). To speed up kimchi fermentation, you could leave your freshly made kimchi at room temperature for a few days before refrigerating.